Horoscope
by laughandlove
Summary: The first meeting of Luke and Lorelai, the beginning of it all. A mad desire for coffee causes the first encounter of the future couple...short ficlet, based on Luke's recounting of the moment as told on the show. Review!


**This is a short ficlet I decided to write just now...the idea popped into my head, and it wouldn't stop pestering me! I have a real urge to write as of the moment, but don't really have the time to update my Supernatural story The Winchester Mansion, because it's late, I'm tired, and I don't think it'd do my story justice. Therefore, this fic probably sucks, but it's really just serving as a writing outlet now. If I get good response, I might improve it, and/or add chapters. R&R, please! (I own nothing, by the way.)**

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A very frenzied Lorelai Gilmore strode briskly through the picturesque streets of Stars Hollow, the small Connecticut town she had recently chosen as her place of residence. She wore blue jeans and a tan sweater, vaguely aware that that wasn't exactly the suggested wardrobe for a job interview, a job interview that could potentially lead to a secure future for her young, feisty and inquisitive daughter Rory. _Rory, as in short for Lorelai,_ the frustrated mother frequently told whoever asked. _Yes, I named her after me,_ she would repeat tiredly as they gazed at her, expressions of incredulity on their faces. _Why shouldn't I?_ She wondered to herself. Queens gave their daughters their own names, and what was Lorelai Gilmore if not a queen herself? A queen who got pregnant at 16, a queen who worked as a maid at crappy hotels just to support herself and her daughter. She could have been a queen, though, lived the life of one at the very least. She had grown up with riches, with meaningless cotillions and balls that drove her crazy. Her parents never cared about how she felt, never cared that instead of them buying her designer dresses and bags, they should have shown her love, or at least some sort of affection. They hadn't, but Christopher had.

Christopher. God, she didn't know how long it had been since she saw that man. A few years, maybe...there was definitely that phone call last year she had made, simply one of the periodic life updates she provided him with, just out of consideration. She still cared about Chris – after all, she had grown up with him, and he was the father of her child-but knew that he was far too immature to provide stability for her daughter. She assumed he hadn't changed much since she knew him. He could never hold a job, and took advantage of every cent his parents supplied him. He could take that life, handle the falseness and stupidity of it all. He thrived in it, she was desperate to leave it. She knew Richard and Emily, her pretentious parents, would have had her marry him in a second. It would be a respectable union, Christopher was from a fine family and could support the both of them. But she was 16, merely a child. She wasn't about to give up her life that early, to be a housewife without ever experiencing the world. So she ran away after giving birth.

She had Rory, the love of her life. As soon as she gazed into the abnormally blue eyes of her daughter, she was hooked. Her baby had her wrapped around her finger. Completely alone, she had walked up the steps of the Independence Inn, a place she had known since childhood, and was able to stay there. She was taken in, loved, cared for. She worked there occasionally, as well as other odd jobs, usually involving cleaning or waitressing. She always aspired to run an inn of her own someday, a wish that was later granted.

The move to Stars Hollow had been fate. She had finally saved up enough money to support herself, to buy a home, and upon driving through the nearby towns in Connecticut, had become completely entranced by a beautiful old house behind stately trees and at the end of a long, gravel driveway. And it was cheap – the benefits of looking for real estate in a small town. Over the course of a couple of months, she was situated. Rory had started school that year, adjusting rapidly to the charming public school in the area. Things were going well, very well.

Until that morning. Coffee, she needed coffee. She would fall over soon if she didn't get a taste of that heavenly, hot beverage, the one responsible for her perpetual perky behavior. Restaurant, restaurant...where was there a cheap restaurant in this town? She glanced around her, all the while scurrying across the one-lane street in her too-high black heels, carrying an armful of papers: resumes, job applications, and an array of other things that she had gathered from various places during the day. Her last stop was the Independence Inn, her familiar stopping grounds, where she was sincerely hoping to attain a management job. It would be a perfect way to start her career. She only had a limited amount of time before she had to get there, though, and she was running out of steam. She needed that coffee.

At the corner of the street, she saw a small store with a large window at the front, through which it appeared that people were eating. Eating. _That would be nice, too... _she thought. She barely had time for herself lately. As she brushed her long, dark curly hair out of her blue eyes and gazed up at the sign, however, she could see that the hanging, painted label said "Williams Hardware." _That's odd,_ she thought, considering as how "Luke's Diner" was clearly printed in bright yellow letters on the window. _Well, I guess I could use a hammer as well as a cup of coffee and a muffin,_ she contemplated with a smile. This was so small-townish. She loved every minute of it, of her new life away from the stingy aristocracy and fancy colonial breakfasts at French cafes. She decided to walk in. She had a good feeling about the place.

She opened the door, and was greeted by the common hustle and bustle of a diner at midmorning. _Damn_, she thought, _I guess I'm not getting my hammer after all_. It was busy, but she didn't need a table. Lorelai simply walked to the counter and sat, staring with her best puppy-dog face into the eyes of a particularly gruff man wearing a backwards baseball cap and a red plaid lumberjack shirt. Before he could even take her order...

"COFFEE! Coffee deprived woman here! If a steaming, heavenly beverage isn't placed into my hands this very instant, there is imminent danger that I will murder anyone in here with a drop in their cup. And I want a muffin, too. With chocolate chips."

It was apparent that the man wasn't easily amused.

"Where do you get off?" he barked. I'm swamped here, in case you can't tell. Give me a second, all right?"

Lorelai gave a false sniff. She was not easily deterred, and would milk this man for all he was worth. "You hwurt my fweelings..." she said. "I j-just want coffee, Mr. Big Scary Lumberjack Man."

The man sighed audibly. "I own this place. I'm not a lumberjack."

"You coulda fooled me with all that red plaid there, Lukey. I'm guessing that's your name, huh? Has anyone ever told you you give off a strong Sylvester Stallone vibe? You know, the whole deep voice solitary male thing? Yo Adrian!"

Luke didn't even crack a smile. "So it was just coffee?'

"And a muffin," she added with a bright smile.

"You'll have to wait a few minutes, I've got other customers," he said, beginning to walk away. Lorelai could see the coffee pot behind him, it was so close...

"When's your birthday?" asked Lorelai.

"What?"

"I'm guessing mid-winter, January-ish, due to your cold attitude."

"What are you talking about? Are you crazy?"

"Well, yes, I am that. I just want to check your horoscope."

"I am _not_ telling you my birthday."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please with sugar on top and a cherry and a pony and a Mustang convertible and a diamond ring and Antonio Banderas?"

"No."

"Fine," Lorelai huffed. "I guess you lose my business. And I could have been a good customer, too, if you know what I mean," she hinted, winking at him. "I guess I'll just go to Al's Pancake World across the street. It was less crowded anyway."

"That's because Al's sucks," said Luke.

"When's your birthday?" persisted Lorelai, ignoring what he had said.

"Fine! It's in October."

"Oooh, we've got a scorpion here!" she exclaimed.

Lorelai pulled the Stars Hollow Gazette out of her stack of papers, tearing out the horoscope and turning it over, onto the back. Grabbing a pen, she wrote: _today a crazy woman will come in, give her coffee and she will go away_ under "Scorpio." She gave it to him, smiling.

He read it without a word, but cracked the first grin since she had come in. He poured her coffee in a green ceramic mug and placed a muffin in front of her.

"Happy?" he grunted.

"Yes, Wookie very happy," she said, sipping gratefully. "By the way, I'm Lorelai," she added holding out her hand.

"I'm Luke," he said, shaking it.

"Well, I'll see you around, Luke," she said, upon leaving.

"I hope so," he muttered. "I sure hope so."

**THE END**

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**This story is based on what Luke told Lorelai on their first date about their first meeting, although I did take the liberty in taking out his father's presence (I wasn't sure how to write him). Please read and review, I have no idea how this comes across! Sappy? Sucky? Tell me!**


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